Antiquarium Arborense - Museo archeologico Giuseppe Pau Oristano

The retable of Saint Martin

An anonymous Catalan painted this picture in tempera on wood, with a gilt background (first two decades of 1400).

It comes from the church of San Martino and represents: the Crucifixion; Our Lady on the throne surrounded by angels playing musical instruments; the Episcopal Consecration of San Martino; San Martino sharing his mantle with the poor.

This painting belongs to Catalan ambit, although there is some influence of French Gothic tradition. The tale’s ingenuousness and the scarcity of scientific information, not only in the chromatic field but most of all in its perspective, give this painting an acute and persuasive fascination.